DAVID Howell climbed into the top 25 at the Joburg Open with a fine three-under-par third round of 69 today.

The Swindon star had fallen down the leaderboard in South Africa following a disappointing second round but moved back in the right direction this morning.

Howell is seven-under overall in a tie for 24th place  at the Royal Johannesburg & Kensington Golf Club, eight shots off the lead shared by South African duo Zander Lombard and Haydn Porteous, as well as Englishman Anthony Wall.

Playing the East Course, Broome Manor man Howell got his round off to a dream start with an eagle three at the par-five first hole.

A run of six straight pars followed by a birdie at the eighth, another par-five hole, allowed him to reach the turn three-under.

However, Howell let a shot go with a bogey at the 10th and the wheels were in danger of falling off his round when another slipped away at the 14th.

The 40-year-old steadied the ship, though, and a birdie two at the 16th got him moving back in the right direction before he capped his round with a third birdie of the day at the last to get back to three-under for the day.